Saying Goodbye
by potterfan226
Summary: [HBP Spoilers][ANGST ONE SHOT] One late night, Hermione receives a letter that changes her life forever. However, when it finally sinks in, she realizes that saying goodbye to the two people who she loved the most, isn't as easy as it was made out to be.


**Saying Goodbye  
**_written by potterfan226_

Hermione Granger had always been considered as perfect in her parents' eyes, no matter how odd she had been as a child.

Growing up, Hermione's parents couldn't help but to notice that their daughter was not like any other child her age.

Even as she went to school, her teachers would always point out that Hermione was an exceptionally bright student who knew the answer to every question that was presented to her – not that that was a bad thing, but she just had an easier time grasping the subjects than the other students.

That was when Hermione had been in elementary school. Of course, to this day, Hermione was still exceptionally bright and knew almost every question she was asked. She was now eighteen years old and was in her seventh and final year at Hogwarts.

Well sort of.

Hogwarts was closed until further notice and had been closed ever since Professor Dumbledore's death. When the school year had ended the previous June, the school governors had decided that keeping a school full of hundreds of students wouldn't be safe.

Though if the school had opened, Hermione wouldn't have gone anyways. She was currently off searching Europe with her two best friends, Harry and Ron. They were all trying to locate and destroy Lord Voldemort's remaining four Horcruxes.

She sighed and held the tip of her quill to the page of her diary. Hermione had had a diary ever since she had started Hogwarts. Every thought, confession and feeling resided in this diary. She liked to turn to it when there was no one else to talk to.

Dipping her quill in the inkpot, Hermione started to write.

_It was a hard day today. Harry, Ron and I spent three hours at a very creepy house on top of a hill. I have no idea why Harry wanted to go there, but we still went. Mrs Weasley sent another letter to us, via owl post; she seemed more worried than usual. This morning, the Daily Prophet reported an attack on a Muggle village that happened last night, but wouldn't say which one. I hope mum and dad are alright. Well I hear Ron coming up, I better go._

_Love, from,  
__Hermione._

She placed her diary back into the drawer of the small nightstand beside her. Hermione stared at the door, waiting for Ron to appear in the doorway, but he never came. Hermione heard the door close to the room next to hers, she rolled her eyes.

The trio was currently staying in a very old fashioned house; Hermione figured it had belonged to a very rich Muggle family. When the trio stumbled across this house, it was empty and abandoned, like it hadn't been used it years.

Hermione walked up to the windowsill and sat on the ledge. She brought her knees up to her chest and stared out into the blood red sky. In the distance, Hermione saw a dark brown spec, becoming larger each second.

She squinted her eyes, straining to get a better look and then blinked. The spec was no longer in sight. Hermione searched the skies for a moment but then figured it was just her imagination.

Leaning her head against the wall behind her, her eyes falling heavily, Hermione drifted off to sleep. She began dreaming about a dark, windy night, a young girl crouched in front of a large object that Hermione could not see. There was no noise, but Hermione could tell that the young girl was crying. She had colorless bushy hair and wore a long black cloak. Just as the young girl moved, and Hermione caught a glimpse of it …

"Hermione!"

She opened her eyes. Ron was standing over her, a worried expression placed upon his face and a letter in his hands. "This came for you."

Hermione slowly reached out and took the thin envelope from Ron. She looked at the front; it was an Official Ministry of Magic letter, and the words _Hermione J. Granger_ written in loopy gold writing.

With trembling hands, Hermione opened the envelope and withdrew the single sheet of paper. It was short, but had a lot of meaning.

_Dear Ms Hermione Granger,  
__  
It is our regret to inform you that your parents William and Jane Granger have been killed in the recent attack on the Muggle village Brookshire, late Thursday night. Mr and Mrs Granger's attorney, Gregory Hart, had already been informed and wishes to make an appointment with you as soon as possible.  
__  
Sorry for your loss,  
__Miranda Clause,  
__Ministry of Magic._

The letter dropped from her hands. Tears swelled up in her eyes and her breathing became heavy,

This wasn't happening. It just couldn't be happening.

Her knees gave out and luckily Ron was there to catch her. He didn't ask what the letter was about – he already knew. Ron had received a letter similar to that one a few months back … it had been Charlie.

Hermione suddenly felt dizzy. Everything was swimming in and out of focus. The air suddenly felt too hot. She wriggled free of Ron's grip and ran to the window. She needed air.

Hermione pushed the window open and stuck her head out. She heard Ron scream behind her "HERMIONE NO!"

Everything was a blur. This couldn't be happening. It was just a dream, a nightmare. The tears fell freely from her eyes as she struggled from Ron's grip.

A set of pounding footsteps met her ears. A new set of hands began pulling her arm. She kept resisting.

"Let me go!" Hermione screamed. "I need, I need, I, I," she fell limply to the ground, crying harder than ever.

_Your parents William and Jane Granger were killed in the recent attack …_

"Mum," she cried in a whisper, "dad … I'm s-sorry …"

She cried more, her face was soaked in tears. She felt sick …

Hermione held her head in her hands; she felt someone put an arm around her and carefully lift her up.

The last thing she remembered was her head hitting the soft feathered pillow, before falling into an all black darkness.

**March 17th, 1998**

"We are gathered here today to witness the passing of two loving people: William and Jane Granger."

The cold crisp air felt nothing to Hermione for all she felt was numbness. She watched silently, a few tears trickling down her face, as the Muggle minister walked around the two large caskets, saying a prayer to the Granger's.

Hermione stood in front of the crowd, her hands held tight together in front of her. Everyone wore all black and were all silent as the minister preformed the ceremony.

She found she couldn't cry no more. It seemed like her eyes had leaked all its tears … Hermione just stood there, facing the front, with a face full of emotion. The windy air plus the cold blowing snow didn't feel nice at all as you stood there. But Hermione could no longer tell if the weather was hot … or cold.

All she felt was heart break and numbness. She couldn't speak, nor could she listen. Hermione had come very distant to everyone these past few weeks; yet no one seemed to pressure her. She would stay in her room, curled up in a ball, crying. And when she wasn't in her room, she was forced to have meetings with her parents' attorney, discussing the funeral.

Hermione watched as the two caskets were lowered into the ground. Her eyes filled up with warm tears, but they did not fall.

Hermione watched as the two people she loved most, the two people who were there for her whenever she needed it, vanish from the surface. She swallowed hard.

Her memory drifted off to when she was eleven, when she had gotten her acceptance letter to Hogwarts.

They had been supportive throughout the whole thing. Her parents had allowed Hermione to go to a school where they knew she'd be thousands of miles away from them … they were worried at first, yet they still allowed her to go.

"She needs to learn who she is. And if being a – a witch and going to this … Hogwarts, will help her with that, I'm not going to stand in her way."

That's what her mum had said. _Oh mum,_ cried Hermione in thought_, I miss you so much already._

Then there was her dad. Every time Hermione was home for the holidays, he'd try and spend every last second with her as he could, as though he'd loose her forever if he didn't hold on …

_It should have been the other way around,_ thought Hermione. _I'm sorry daddy … I - I love you too much to say goodbye._

The crowd started to thin out as each person started to leave. The ceremony burial was over. Everything was now a reality.

Someone walked up from behind her. "C'mon Hermione," said the voice of Mrs Weasley. "We should get going … I don't want you to catch a cold."

Hermione stood there, frozen. Her legs wouldn't move. As she stared at the large tombstone that symbolized her parents, she whispered, "I – I can't."

The tears fell freely from her eyes, running down her cheek and onto the ground. She couldn't leave them; it was too soon. She just couldn't.

"Aww, dear, come here," Mrs Weasley embraced her into a hug. "It's okay to cry. Just let it all out, Hermione." She held the child that she considered as one of her own in her arms, understanding the pain that she was going through.

Neither of them knew how long they had stayed there, holding tightly onto each other. Hermione's numbness started slowly washing away as she cried in the arms of the person she knew would help her through anything. The wind grew more intensly and the snow started blowing. The sky was getting dark; Mrs Weasley spoke up, sniffing, "Hermione, I understand that you can't bear to think that you aren't going to have you parents anymore …" Hermione sniffed too, "but sometimes when you love someone so, you just have to set them free."

Hermione let out an unsteady breath. _Mrs Weasley was right … she, she just had to be …_

Pulling away from her, Hermione turned around and slowly walked past Harry and Ron who both had a somber look on their faces as they watched their friend walk towards the tombstone. She knelt in front of it. Taking a deep breath, she spoke up in a whisper.

"Mum … dad … if, if you can hear me," she stopped and closed her eyes. "I just want to let you know that I-I love you … both of you … so much. I thank you for every moment you have shared with me. I thank you for loving me, loving who I am, and supporting me every step of the way," she opened her eyes, "and I thank you for the life that you have given me …"

Her hand rested on the tombstone. "I love you both so much; I will _never_ forget you. I promise." She kissed her fingers, her lips lingering on her fingertips and then placed them upon the picture of her parents.

Standing up, another tear falling from her eyes, she whispered, her lip trembling, "just, just please, n-never forget me."

Taking one last look at the place where her parents now lay, resting in peace, Hermione walked away, already feeling the large hole in her heart, becoming stronger once again.

! THE END ! 

* * *

A/N: I thought of this one-shot late one night before I went to bed. I was up until 2 AM writing it on pen and paper. It didn't turn out as Angst as I would have liked, but meh! I tried. Please **READ & REVIEW.**


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